Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-05-13

10 defend the organ without impcd-
ing the sight 49, another wonder
full instance of design. The con-
trivanccs for the protection of the eyes
in the different branches of the animal
world are indeed u constant marvel to
the thoughtful The nictitating men
branc is the most conspicuous, and
forms contrast to the singular and
unique arrangement which exists only
in the chameleon. Instead of two eve
lids the organ is covered by an cyelid
with II hole in it, and for an obvi
ous reason. The neck Of the chamc-
leon is intlcxiblc, and to make up for
this, the eye is so prominent that moro
than half the ball projects from the
head, the muscle being such that the
pupil of the eye can be carried in every
direction. To defend and lubricatc
the globe of an eye so unusually cX-
posed, n special contrivanco was ncces-
sary, hence the pierced lid-thc lid
itself keeping the principal part of the
surface of the eye under cover and in n
due state of humidity without a con-
stant meditation, and the aperture al
lowing the necessary admission of
light.
The position of the eyes on the head,
varying, rs it does, the lower we de-
sccnd in the animal world, affords fur
thcr food for reflection In birds and
the higher animals, the position is uni
form, and obviously most beautiful,
symmetrical, and useful; but in fishes
and insects we find an endless variety
ms to position, direction and dimensions.
In some fishes, the eyes have an up
ward aspect, and are very close to-
gcther; in others, they are at the side,
and so wide apart as to be slightly
downward in direction; whilst in soles,
turbots, founders and others of the
same family, the eyes are placed, ms it
were, one above the other, and both
upon the same side of the head Some
have enormously large eyes; others are
so small as to bo scarcely visible; and
others, again, so rudimentary as TO be
merely minute fold of the skin on
which cerebral nerve terminates
Generally speaking, however, the eye of
fishes is large, with especially broad open
pupils; and rhc crystalline lens much
rounder than in the eyes of terrestrial
animals-another proof of design, evil
IDENTIFY into to enable them to col
lcct whatever rays of light penetrate to
the hidden depths of the ocean, rcfrac-
ton of rays of light by more convex
surface being necessity from water
into the eye. But of all fishes, the
anablcps has perhaps the most note
worthy eye. The creature swims half
above the surface of tho water, and the
eye is divided horizontally into two
portions, the one for seeing in the
waite, the other in the air. Insects,
again, are provided with the most Won
dcrful organs of sight. Their nature
and construction are different from all
others, and two kinds of eyes, the sim
pie and the composite, are united in
one small creature. The simple ewes
are generally three, and are situated on
the crown of the head between the
more elaborate organs of sight. The
STRUCTURE OF pUtn KIM Is perfectly
distinct The composite eyes are
n marvellous combination of n null
tiplicity of perfect eyes, which
may be seen in microscopic
examination of the cornea. The cornea
then stands revealed us mass of many
thousand regularly disposed hexagonal
facets, each of which is in itself per-
feet eye. In the head of butterfly,
nearly thirty-fivc thousand have been
counted; and some insects are suppos-
ed to be still more numerously sup
piled. The simple eyes, on the other
hand, are simple, as their name i'm
plies; each simple eve is a single organ
the cornca exhibiting no appearance of
facets. ThGSises of these eyes, which
the unwearying researches of natural
lists have now established, are as inter-
esting as they are extraordinary.